


The Dragon Prince

by chxngdxl



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21898093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chxngdxl/pseuds/chxngdxl
Summary: Changmin meets Yunho as a dragon for the first time, and sees him in a new light.
Relationships: Jung Yunho/Shim Changmin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28
Collections: Ho Ho Homin: The Yunho/Changmin Holiday Fic Exchange 2019





	The Dragon Prince

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kittylovesbambi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittylovesbambi/gifts).

> For the prompt: "i would really like something about dragons :D like for the dragons to be happy and alive not like dragon sashimi or sth... or if there are no dragons it's ok too, sth medieval?"
> 
> I hope you like it!

Changmin gasps quietly at the sight before him, stumbling back in surprise. One hand braced against the tree trunk, he stands there, rooted to the spot, staring at the creature sleeping a few metres away from him with wide eyes. 

_Jung Yunho_. His mind supplies to him helpfully a few seconds later, realization dawning, and he's not sure why he didn't connect the dots sooner. After all, dragons are rare creatures. To have one sleeping in a clearing in the forest attached to the palace grounds while one lived in the castle couldn't be a simple coincidence. 

Despite knowing that he should most likely turn around and leave the other man be before Yunho had a chance to wake up and see him, a part of him is intrigued, never having seen a dragon before. And he takes a few steps forward, wanting to see Yunho in his other form from closer up. 

The dragon — _Yunho _— is smaller than anticipated, not quite as magnificient in size as Changmin had expected a dragon to be. Not that Changmin has any real point of reference, but that's irrelevant. He's the colour of black ink, his scales lustre, looking especially radiant in the afternoon sun, but whereas the rest of his body is black, the underside of his wings are the colour of flames — a mix of red, orange, and yellow. 

He takes a step closer, wanting to see things in even greater detail, but stills when Yunho stirs. One of the dragon's winged ears wiggles, as if listening for any foreign sounds, and Changmin holds his breath. 

Nothing happens. Not for a minute, anyways.

But just as Changmin's about to let out a sigh of relief, Yunho's eyes spring open. 

Changmin is embarassed at the sound of surprise he lets out, stumbling backwards when Yunho lifts his head to look at him. He ends up tripping, letting out a small sound of pain as he falls on his behind. Yunho's rises on his front legs immediately in response, and Changmin's amazed at how easy it is to read the concern in his slitted black eyes. 

"I'm okay!" Changmin says, holding his hand up to stop Yunho from coming closer. "I'm alright! I'm sorry for waking you up." 

Yunho tilts his head and looks at him a little oddly, leaving Changmin a little bewildered and wondering if all dragon hybrids have such expressive faces. Dismissing the thought, Changmin stands up, brushing off the dirt and twigs stuck to his clothing, and then looks back at Yunho, trying for a reassuring expression. 

It's a weird feeling, to lock eyes with Yunho like this, depsite having shared no more than a grand total of 10 words with the man…_dragon_? 

But it seems like Yunho's got the same idea. 

There's a bit of hesitance and awkwardness in his body language as well. Changmin has no idea how he can sense either of those emotions in a _dragon's body language_but he understands. He definitely understands.

When Yunho retreats back to his original position, curling up the way he had prior to Changmin's arrival, he knows that it's Yunho trying to give him an easy out. This is his time to escape. Changmin knows that. This is Yunho trying to pretend as if nothing had just happened, exactly what Changmin also wants, but for some reason, Changmin doesn't do it. 

He doesn't turn around and walk away; instead, he just stands there and stares dumbly.

Yunho, as it turns out, is just as stubborn as him. He waits, waits at least a whole ten minutes, pretending to sleep, before finally raising his head when it becomes clear that Changmin will not be leaving just yet.

Changmin is a little apprehensive when he sees Yunho huff at his persistence, a small part of him wondering if smoke should've come out with that exhale, but that feeling quickly goes away when Yunho gives him a look.

It's part demanding and part exasperated, something akin to "What do you want?", and it makes Changmin bristle. These are _his_ castle grounds so how dare the dragon look at _him_ like that. He matches Yunho's annoyed look with a glare of him own, eyesbrows furrowing when he gets what looks like an eyeroll in return.

Looking away from him, Yunho sits up and stretches after being interrupted mid-nap. At least Changmin presumes that's what he's doing. 

Either way, It's a glorious sight. 

Something that almost takes his breath away, particularly when Yunho unfurls his wings out before leaning forward on his front haunches to stretch. For a brief moment, it makes him look less like a dragon and more like one of the stray cats that roam about the palace, and Changmin privately snickers at the thought. 

The sound catches Yunho's attention, his eyes affixing on Changmin as he pads closer. He pauses a few steps away from Changmin, and from this close up, Changmin realizes that Yunho is most definitely bigger than he had thought earlier. 

The sight is a little intimidating, maybe even feels like Yunho is trying to alarm him, but he stands his ground. 

"Hello," Changmin says when Yunho continues to stand there, inches away, looking down at him. "This is awfully close, don't you think?" 

He gets another huff and an eye roll in return, but Yunho does move back a few steps, lowering himself so they're a little more at eye level. 

"I apologize for overstepping, but I was simply curious," Changmin explains. "I've never seen a dragon in person before." He hesitates and then in a move that's a little out of character, extends his hand out in question. 

Yunho regards his outstretched limb with an expression Changmin can't quite understand. Nevertheless, he eventually lowers his head until his chin is resting against the ground, eyes drifting close. 

The sight of Yunho submitting like this stirs a weird, unpleasant feeling inside of Changmin, reminding him of the day his father had proudly _gifted_ Yunho to him for his 21st birthday. He recalls, clear as day, the way his father had pushed a visibly reluctant Yunho forward to kneel at his feet, and the accompanying disgust he had felt while his father had gloated about how perfect of a present he was.

A dragon for the prince born under the dragon. 

_How apt_. He thinks with a snort.

Gently, Changmin moves his hand closer until his fingers touch the scales on the top of Yunho's head. He sucks in a small breath of air when he realizes they're firm but soft. Not at all scaly or hard like he had envisioned them to feel like. Changmin marvels at his discoverly, hand immediately reaching to caress whatever surface of the dragon's head he can touch. 

"Wow," he breathes out softly with shining, curious eyes, gaze shifting down to glance at Yunho's face. The dragon's own eyes are still closed, but there's something almost serene about his expression.

"They're soft." He says outloud. Yunho's eyelids shutter open at his statement, irises drifting up to glance at him, and Changmin meets them, smiling. "Did you know they were soft?" 

Yunho makes a snorting sound at his question. It sounds a little, well maybe a lot, like he's laughing at Changmin, but Changmin doesn't feel offended in the slightest. Instead he moves to the side, and then comes to a halt when he realizes what he was about to do. Yunho is watching him, he realizes when he turns to look at the dragon, and he gives him a sheepish smile.

"May I touch your wings?" Changmin asks politely, putting on his most pleasant face, just in case Yunho plans on denying his request. Yunho gets a weird look in his eyes at his question, staring at Changmin was a little bit longer than comfortable, and then he's moving, taking a few steps back. 

A part of Changmin is disappointed, letting out a soft "oh" at the rejection, but then Yunho stops, lowers himself onto the ground, and extends his left wing outwards. Changmin stands there with abated breath, excitement and nervousness filling his stomach when the limb reaches out in his direction. He lifts his hand up, ready to touch, and then lets out a sound of surprise when it skims right by his extended arm. 

Mouth falling open, Changmin's eyes shift to the side and lock with Yunho's when the curled edge of the wing brushes his cheek instead. It takes him by surprise. Though not as much as the clear look of "my turn" on Yunho's face.

The wing hovers there, the lightest of touches against his face, and Changmin realizes that Yunho's waiting for permission. It both surprises and pleases him, and he lets out a small laugh before nodding at Yunho, closing his eyes a little tighter than necessary. 

For a second, nothing happens, and then Yunho strokes his face gently, the edge of his limb moving from the edge of his temple down to his jaw line in a slow, smooth movement. It feels weird. A little like human skin but also a little like something else. Like clothing. Clothing made of a starched, skin-like fabric. 

The dragon makes a sound, a clearly appreciative sound, when he strokes his face a second, a third, a fourth time. Changmin knows that Yunho's at least half mocking him, but he can't find in himself to even feel a little affronted by it. Rather he enjoys it, even laughs quietly a little when it tickles. He opens his eyes again when the touch fades away, meeting Yunho's slitted orbs, and smiles, heart feeling a little full.

It's weird, he thinks. If you had told Changmin when he had woken up this morning that in a few hours, he'd be standing in a forest and a dragon — _Yunho_ — would be nuzzling his face, he would have no doubt laughed at you. 

Yet here he is. 

There's an awkward silence that descends upon them after, and Changmin looks away to avoid Yunho's eyes that are boring into him. Instead he directs his attention to the still extended limb. Reaching out, he brushes his hand against the outer part of the wing, caressing it softly, before moving to the inside.

  
Texturally, it's not at all what he expected. He steps closer, glancing at Yunho for permission, and when the dragon lowers himself onto the ground, settling in, Changmin smiles, extremely pleased. Running the pads of his fingers, he's a little surprised that it feels akin to a leaf. Smooth with little raised veins marring the entire space.

Yunho looks at him expectantly once he lets go and steps away, clearly waiting for something, but Changmin's not sure what it is. Nor if he sure if he would be able to give it to Yunho even if he did know. 

"Thank you for letting me do that," Changmin says after a few seconds pass, meeting Yunho's eyes. He takes a step back, surprised when Yunho steps forward almost as if trying to stop him. There's a weird feeling in his chest, the same awkwardness he always feels in Yunho's presence in human form. "I'll head back then if you'd like to continue your nap. I apologize for disrupting you."

Yunho makes a soft sound, a sound Changmin's not quite how to decipher. However, the sound of rustling leaves, and Changmin's name being called distracts both of them.

"Prince Changmin!" The familiar calls out once again, sounding closer this time, and Changmin turns to look over his shoulder, stiffening when he sees Ryeowook materialize from between the trees, looking a little worried. 

"Oh," the man makes a sound under his breath when he spots Changmin and then the dragon standing behind him. His mouth hangs open, blatantly staring, and it's only when Changmin clears his throat that he snaps out of it. He lowers his head, "My apologies, your Highness. I didn't intend to interrupt the two of you. I was afraid you'd gotten lost again like last time."

Changmin ignores both the comment and the little snort that Yunho lets out from behind him, voice clipped when he asks, "Is there something you needed?"

Ryeowook frowns at this tone, but nods "Your father is requesting your presence in his study." He shifts on his foot, looking behind Changmin and directly at Yunho, and adds. "Both of your presences, matter of fact."

"Understood. You can leave now. We'll be there shortly." Changmin dismisses Ryeowook, turning back around to face Yunho, staring somewhere in the dragon's general direction until he hears the sound of receding footsteps. 

Once Ryeowook's gone, he looks back up at Yunho, unable to help himself from being so formal. "I'll head back, then. Please change and join us at your earliest convenience, thank you." 

  
Spinning on his heel, he traces his steps back to the palace grounds, and is almost halfway to the castle when he hears the sound of someone running behind him.

"Prince Changmin!" Yunho calls out after him, and Changmin pausing, turning to watch the man catch up to him. There's an awkwardness in the air once Yunho halts in front of him, a bit of hesitance in the man's expression. "I —"

"Yes?" Changmin asks when Yunho doesn't say anything. 

The man just shakes his head, his uncertain expression shuttering to be replaced by something more neutral. "Would you like me to accompany you?"

Changmin feels a little disappointed, but he doesn't blame Yunho for backing out at the last minute. Instead, he nods, even tries for a small smile, happy when Yunho matches it with a tiny grin of his own. "I would most certainly like that." 


End file.
